IRC Channel for CDN [Channel Info in OP]

THE QUICKEST WAY TO JOIN THE CHAT: GO HERE, type in a username, and then type: /join #cdn

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Basic Information on the Main Chat Channel
Server: Magicstar
Channel: #CDN
Password: (none)
Owner: ESpiza
Ops: Harrad_01, SteelUnifier, Aphin, KorwunGorik

Basic Information on the Spoiler Channel
Server: Magicstar
Channel: #CDNSpoilers
Password: (none)
Owner: PsychoYoshi
Ops: Harrad_01, SteelUnifier, Aphin, KorwunGorik, ESpiza

For those of you folks who are new to the forums, Cerberus Daily News has its own IRC channel for general discussion. Here, you can meet with other players, plan out ideas for IC and RP threads, or simply chat the night away with fellow Mass Effect nerds.

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IRC Chat Rules and Guidelines

First, obey all site-wide rules and regulations for the Magicstar server. This means:

• NO wares or illegal trading of software or otherwise illegal activities.
• NO pornography.
• NO evading of Channel or Network bans.
• No more than two connections to the server from one IP will be allowed. This is out of our hands; IRCOps automatically ban violators for cloning.

A good general rule of thumb: when people ask you to stop doing something in chat, do not do that thing.

With this in mind, do not start flame wars. If you feel yourself itching to start a fight, leave the channel and relax for five minutes before the chatmods make you do so.

Spoilers for all recent games and movies must be taken to the site’s sister channel, #CDNSpoilers or to The Official Spoilers Thread until at least a week after the title’s’ release (or further, as per moderator discretion). Game spoilers include any further Story DLC for Mass Effect 3. Inactivity in Channel #CDNSpoilers is NOT an excuse to post spoilers in #CDN. Discussing spoilers about new games or movies in #CDN WILL result in kicking, suspension or permabanning, as per the discretion of the chat moderator.

While on #CDN and/or #CDNSpoilers, the owner and moderators’ words are law. If they tell you to stop doing something, stop. This is non-negotiable; inability to follow mod instruction is punishable by kick, ban, or suspension from both channels and/or the forums at the chatmods’ discretion.

Sockpuppetry and falsely posing as another player are kickable/bannable offenses in #CDN.

On that note, being “Kicked” or “Booted” from a channel merely means that you have been ejected from it. If you have merely been kicked, unless you have also been expressly banned, there is nothing preventing you from rejoining with the “/join” command. Bear in mind, however, that this is typically a warning to adjust your behavior.

#CDN and #CDNSpoilers are the only two official IRC chat channels for Cerberus Daily News. Chat channels other than #CDN and #CDNSpoilers are neither endorsed nor moderated by Cerberus Daily News. Use other Mass Effect RP channels at your own risk.

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How to Connect to IRC Chat

There are a variety of applications you can use to access #CDN, across all sorts of platforms. Here are just a few, along with a few notes about their usability.

Windows:

• mIRC - technically a trial, but places no restrictions on time or functionality.
  vIRC - more graphically versatile than mIRC.
• Miranda IM - an open-source application that skimps on features, but offers all the basics.

Mac:

• Snak - Mac-exclusive. Haven't tried it myself, but I've seen it recommended elsewhere.
• Colloquy - Recommended by Harrad_01. Likes to automatically log out or exit channels, however.

Cross-Platform:

• Multi-protocol IM programs that support IRC, such as Trillian and Pidgin
  For those using Firefox for their browsing, there's the Chatzilla extension. Very robust for an add-on.
• XChat
• Mibbit, a board favorite, though it has broken image issues
• For command-line afficionados, there's Irssi.

IRC chat clients use a variety of methods and macros, but most rely on a basic command structure. The ones I will show are based off of Chatzilla.

When you first use your chat client, you will need to specify the server you want to join. This is done by entering the command

/server irc.magicstar.net

Next, you will need to choose a nickname – the alias everyone will use to refer to you. This is done by entering the command

/nick [NICKNAME]

If you want to ensure that this nickname remains unique to you, consider registering it with a password. Registered nicknames automatically kick people who use them unless the user logs in with the password. This helps to prevent sockpuppeting and false representation (which are kickable and/or ban-able offenses on #CDN). The command to do this is

/msg nickserv register [PASSWORD] [E-MAIL]

where [E-MAIL] is the e-mail address you want the nickname to be registered to.

To log in with your nickname, simply enter the command

/ns id [PASSWORD]

where [PASSWORD] is the password you registered your nickname with.

Finally, when you have chosen your nickname and connected to the server, simply join the channel by entering the command

/join #CDN

And you’re set!

If you're some kind of strange person who doesn't use Firefox or one of its forks, it should be noted that Chatzilla can be separated from FF with a little command line and XULRunner magic.

I recommend doing this even if you're a Firefox user; even if all other windows and tabs are closed, Chatzilla still needs firefox.exe active if it's integrated with the browser, which eats up quite a bit of RAM. Separated Chatzilla has a very light footprint.

How important is following this channel for participation in CDN?

It's not. It's simply a place to hang out at, and can be really useful for coordinating threads.

Okay so whats the problem?

To which issue?

If the issue has to do with connecting to chat, you’ll need to be a little more specific.

MagicStar banned me randomly two hours ago and DroneBL is being no help in unbanning me. It seem to think I'm a spambot. Anyone know what to do?

Okay, figured out what happened. There was a nasty bot attack or something on the server today according to Janus. A few non-bot IP addresses were swept up in the whole mess and are now getting false positives on DroneBL. According to Janus, the IP bans only last 24 hours. So if anyone is having trouble logging on, that's the issue. Thought I'd tell everyone.